The Little Mermaid (2018)

Should have stayed at sea.

After an opening that recaps the traditional Little Mermaid tale and enforces this is a kids movie, the story follows a reporter and his niece as they investigate a supposed "cure all" being peddled at a nearby circus by an almost literally mustache twirling ringmaster who treats his staff badly.

Guess who is the mermaid?

Poppy Drayton (whom you might recognize from the Shannara Chronicles) is magnificent. Alas, that's about the only good thing this has going for it. Pointless scenes, wooden/over acting, unexplained powers, obvious blue screens and a key point involving what must be the slowest train ever make it a pretty weak offering in terms of childrens stories.

Other than the bit where Poppy sings, I wouldn't watch this again nor do I recommend it. If you want a low budget children's tale, go for the classic Princess Bride instead. I give this iteration 1.5 painted shell bras out of 5.